Early Colonial Life in North Carolina

Early settlers came to North Carolina seeking a better life and riches. In the 1660s the main method of achieving prosperity was through land purchases. North Carolina’s first colonists began arriving from Virginia after land in Virginia became scarce. Initially, Europeans did not settle in North Carolina. The coast was difficult to navigate with larger ships because of barrier islands, shifting shoals, and shallow water. So, the state’s first colonial settlers were really from other colonies.

Once settlers were established, food was abundant for early North Carolinians as the climate was temperate and farmers were able to plant two crops a year. But, it was difficult for North Carolina planters to sell crops like tobacco because crops had to be sent on smaller boats to Virginia or South Carolina where there were deep water ports. This made farming for profit cost prohibitive—farmers would not prosper during the colonial period in North Carolina. Daily life for the first colonists in North Carolina varied depending on an individual’s social class. There were three primary social classes—the gentry class, working farmers, and slaves. Although there weren’t many colonial people in North Carolina in the gentry class, there were a few. With this hierarchy of three social classes, most of North Carolina’s Coastal Plain region became populated with settlers eager for a better and more prosperous life.

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North Carolina planters grew tobacco for export to Europe. Tobacco was a profitable crop and brought planters near deep water ports large sums of money.

The early colonists established towns on NorthCarolina’s major river systems. The biggest townswere far from Charles Town in the south andJamestown to the north . Since Charles Townhad a deep water port for shipping cash crops suchas tobacco , the early colonial farmers had toload their crops on smaller ships, transport smallshipments to Charles Town, unload their crops, and reload on a bigger ship bound for England.

Lords Proprietors

Lords Proprietors—men who were granted favors by Charles II of England for helping him to regain the crown—became king-like over North Carolina settlers. LordsProprietors set up a form of governing thatresembled the English feudal system of lordsand barons who owned land and ruled overeveryone. In this manner, Lords Proprietorswere ruled by the king and all Carolina settlers were ruled by Lords Proprietors.

Although this system of governing seems strange today, it was the general form of governing—dating from the middle ages—inEngland at the time.

Lords Proprietors viewed the vast wilderness of the Carolinas as a money making venture.As king-like lords, they made money bycollecting property taxes known as quitrents. Their rule lasted from 1663 to 1729 and washugely unpopular with colonial settlers.

King Charles II owed favors to severalwealthy men in England who helped back his return to the throne. He paid them back for their loyalty by granting them great tracts of land in the New World.

In the mid 1600’s Virginians began acquiring land in the northern coastal regionof North Carolina. The first settlers farmed and traded with the Indians. In addition,tobacco—which was in great demand in England—depleted soil quickly. Much of the Coastal Plain region of Virginia had already been claimed or depleted—forcing earlytobacco farmers to constantly search for fresh land.

Most farmers did not earn huge profits or own large tracts of land. Uncertainty aboutland claims and high taxes imposed by the Proprietors slowed further development.Because early colonial farmers did not own a lot of land, they did not earn as much asVirginia plantation owners. North Carolina would grow at a much slower pace than Virginia or South Carolina for the entire period of the Proprietors.

There is not much information about what slaves wore for clothing, but we know that theywould have worn a variety of different types of clothing depending on their jobs and thetype of master they had. Slaves didn't write about their clothing, and they didn't leave clothes behind for us to find. Their masters and others who interacted with slaves rarely wrote about their clothing either. So, what we do know about slave clothing is discovered bystudying primary source documents such as runaway ads, milliner's records, slave laws, and portraits, sketches, and diaries made by slave owners.

Lords Proprietors expected to live like kings in the new world. Their clothing wouldhave been imported from England and made to their measurements of expensivefabric. Their suits were decorated with fancy buttons and trimmings. As owners of huge tracts of land, the Proprietors managed many slaves and took it as their right and duty to govern others.

Farmers from Virginia—who were already aware of how to live and manage farms in thenew world—had little use for the Proprietor’s attempts of governing or their fancy clothing. These farmers lived with their families and sometimes a few slaves. Many wore homespun clothing that required them to make and sew the cloth together byhand. Most farmers also had a few pieces of clothing imported from England.

Clothing of Colonial People

Much of what we know about colonialslave clothing comes from primary source documents like this advertisement for an escaped slave

Early North Carolina families would have lived in simple houses that they built themselves. Most of their furnishingsand clothing would also have been hand made. Even thoughthis type of living seems harsh, once settlements were madethere was abundant food and resources.

Colonial HomesEarly colonial homes in North Carolina tookadvantage of the available resource--wood. The building styles were simple and functionalbecause there was a lack of artisans or skilledhome builders. Most early colonists built theirown functional homes from timber found in the surrounding forests.

Colonists began building homes differently thanhomes in England because of the hot and humid climate. They built large porches, separate buildings for kitchens and large breezeways to help keep their homes cool in the summer heat.

Even the homes of wealthier people were quite simple. During the later colonial period (mid to late 1700’s), the homes of wealthy people remained simple by European standards. Although fancier than simple log structures,the homes were built using simple and practicalplans. Often, a wealthy planter would draw upbuilding plans himself. A popular style used symmetry in the design.

The National Colonial Farm—across the Potomac from George Washington’sMt. Vernon—offers a picture of what a colonial farm in North Carolina might have looked like. The farm is a living history museum that is run by the Accokeek Foundation.

The John Wright Stanley House of New Bern, North Carolina was built in the 1780’s for a wealthy merchant and his family. It was simple and symmetrical.

Many slaves lived in small stickhouses that let in the cold. As many as ten people would live together in a small structure.

Many North Carolinacolonial homes were so simple they were barely larger than a garage. Many homes were single story structures with dirt floors and a sleeping loft.

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Daily Life of Colonial People in North CarolinaColonial North Carolinians were farmers and spent much of their time planting, harvesting, and tending crops. Some early colonists also worked collecting naval stores.Naval stores were used for shipping and included products such as turpentine, tar, and pitch. All these products came from the longleaf pine and were in great demand becausewooden ships of the time were made entirely from wood. Naval stores were needed by the British because many of these products kept wooden ships from rotting or sinking.

Colonial life was hard and required husbands and wives to work together as a team in order to provide for their families. Husbands were the heads of households and had theultimate say in family matters. They were responsible for cutting down trees, building cabins, clearing land, hunting, caring for livestock, and making anything from wood.Women were responsible for planting, tending, harvesting, and preserving vegetables and fruit for the family to eat. A woman was also responsible for milking cows, making butter and cheese, making soap and candles, and sewing and mending all the family’s clothing. Women also cooked, cleaned, and did the laundry. All these jobs were done by hand and were time consuming. Most families who owned slaves did not have household slaves. Planting, tending, and harvesting crops required a lot of labor. Those families who did own slaves put them towork in fields. Work began at daybreak and continued until sunset. Even elderly slavesand young slave children were expected to work continually.

Slaves worked from sunrise to sunset in fields. Many of their jobs put the slaves in great danger. Slaves here are shown tending a rice field that may have been infested with poisonoussnakes.

Women worked from sunup to sundown making soap, candles,clothing, and cloth. They usedtools and open fires to help them.This woman is making candles byrepeatedly dipping a wick in melted wax. It would take hoursto make a few candles.

Ships were needed inColonial America fortrade with England. North Carolina, withabundant pine forests,became a major producerOf naval stores.

As colonial people in search of new land began movinginto the western regions of the Coastal Plain, they began encroaching on the land of the Tuscarora. Early colonistsfought with Tuscarora people as their need and demand for new land grew. Colonial people also would capture andenslave Tuscarora people which further inflamed relationsbetween the early colonists and the Tuscarora.

In summer months, Tuscarora people lived in round houses with dirt floors and domed roofs. These homes were made from cypress wood and bark. In the winter, theymigrated to camping spots where they built their homes close together with a fire pit located in the center for warmth.In the summer months, they grew food—mainly corn, beans,and squash on large plantations. They also ate wild game such as deer, bear, and rabbits. They also fished.

Tuscarora men wore breechcloths with leggings and loose fitting shirts made from hemp. The name “Tuscarora” means shirt wearing people. Women wore a long tunic called an overdress. Tuscarora people also wore moccasinsmade from deer hide on their feet. Women wore their hairlong and seldom cut their hair, and men—in times of war—wore their hair in mohawks.

In their daily lives, early Tuscarora people spent most of their time getting food. Women planted and harvestedcrops, and men hunted and fished. Men also spent timemaking bows, arrows, spears for fishing, and dug out canoes.Women made baskets and beadwork. Tuscarora peoplewere skilled woodworkers. They steamed wood and bentit to fashion tools, canoes, and lacrosse sticks.

Lacrosse was a favorite game. Storytelling was also afavored activity. Many stories were legends about how thingsin nature came to be.

Tuscarora people were matrilineal which means they tracedtheir family structure through the female head of the family.

Homes in winter villages werebuilt close together and insulatedwith hemp.

Unlike other native people,Tuscarora men wore shirts.These shirts were woven from hemp plants.

Tuscarora people played a rougher version of the game wenow call lacrosse.

The Tuscarora

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